Growing up in a period of scarcity can teach you powerful life lessons, which a life of abundance might never will. These lessons, if channeled positively, can help determine your future – or if you are lucky, help you write it from scratch.
Matthew Gallagher determined his future with his own hands. He was born in a poverty-stricken family and he recalls parts of his childhood as homeless. The majority of his early days were spent playing around the backsides of trailer parks, motels and hanging around on streets, living off any kind of government assistance possible. Fortunately, Gallagher never allowed his roots to dictate his progress. Being born into a deprived family which was plagued by substance abuse and grave medical conditions would certainly qualify for the expression “rough beginnings”.
“The Salvation Army brought cans of food to our house when we were kids. These kinds of experiences only fueled my goal of becoming successful”.
As Gallagher grew, his struggle to escape his situation intensified.
“I remember making ten dollars selling origami on the school bus. I was on the free lunch program at school but, that day, I was able to buy an ice cream which really fueled my desire to keep making money.”
Computers really excited him from the moment he came across one. They enabled him to explore a whole new side of the world which he was unaware of. Initially, he played games but later developed a keen interest in coding. With time, computers became his escape from the sad reality he was used to. He had a new meaning in life. He had a skill, and he began making use of it by working small jobs for local businesses. He moved to LA and worked for larger companies. Slowly and gradually, his life was changing.
The idea to initiate his own business originated from a traumatic experience. When his father passed away and he got his watch, an idea struck Gallagher to create a company around watches. He considered the watch as the perfect item depicting a family legacy. He wanted to help others create such legacies and today is the proud owner of a company with over $100 million in sales, Watch Gang.
Rough beginnings and a life of deprivation have taught him numerous things and helped him make a conscious effort to struggle his way out of such conditions creating a prosperous life for himself. Matthew Gallagher is a success story, by all means.
